


At Home In Your Arms

by phantomhive3108



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward cuddles, F/M, Halla (Dragon Age), Hinterlands, Post-Battle, Pre-Skyhold, sleeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 05:19:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7346686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomhive3108/pseuds/phantomhive3108
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One-shot piece for DAFicswap Round 5 for Destinyapostasy featuring Ashanna Lavellan and Solas.</p><p>In the wake of a failing expedition in the Hinterlands, the soon-to-be Inquisitor and her friends collapse around the camp fire. Fluffiness, sexual tension and awkward cuddles ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At Home In Your Arms

There weren’t many more things that could go wrong with this trip.

Their party lay sprawled around the fire as the sunset, exhausted and still drenched from the earlier unscheduled swim. 

Ashanna groaned as she sat up and peeled off her cloak, thankful for the evening’s mild temperatures. Bull followed suit and wrenched his boots off his feet with a loud squelching sound.

“Let’s never do that again.” He suggested.

“Agreed.” Ashanna mumbled as she shook the excess water from her locks.

“Seconded.” Sera offered.

Solas stared intently into the fire. “I apologise, I should have pre-empted that.”

Bull scoffed. “Lay off it, you really couldn’t have known!”

Ashanna waved her hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter, it’s done now. Sera can you help me with the tent?” She started to push herself up onto her feet.

“Allow me, please.” Solas was already on his feet.

She dropped back on her heels and huffed. “Oh come on, Solas, don’t pull the chivalry crap out on me now. Let me get the tent up and be done with it.”

He frowned. “I insist… Please.”

“Let him do it if he wants to, I ain’t complaining!” Sera called as she lay spread eagle on the grass, watching the clouds fade from gold to a deep purple as the last of the sun’s rays slipped behind the hills.

“I’LL DO IT!” Bull announced and he pushed himself up onto his feet. “You elves need to rest your tiny bones.”

“Hey! If I weren’t so frigin’ tired I’d throw a rock at your stupid face using my tiny bones.”

Ashanna laughed. “That’s right, Sera. You tell him.” She fell back against the fallen tree trunk and sighed.

One of them should have spotted that rift.

The smoky tendrils had been reaching out from behind the rocky cliff face it hid behind, a pack of hungry demons lurking in wait beneath it.

When Ashanna and her company had prepared to cross the river, the demons had fallen on them in an instant. Bags were dropped in preference of unsheathing weapons and freeing themselves up to retaliate. In doing so, half of their travelling supplies had been carried off down stream.

The battle was hard but a guaranteed win. Despite their inability to get through a conversation without meeting disagreement, Solas and Ashanna worked beautifully in tandem on the field. Solas kept Bull safe from harm and flanking attacks, occasionally shielding Ashanna from clawed swipes as she struck demon and demon from the field with fire and lightning. Bull kept swinging into the waves of incoming attackers and Sera offered the elf mage covering fire to get close enough to work the anchor on the rift.

It would have been a victory to celebrate, had they not had to go dashing down the river after their lost supplies. They only recovered one of their four packs- Bull’s thanks to the weight of his whetstones and other packed weapons- and one tent which had caught between two rocks when it had come loose from another long gone backpack.

Bull finished knocking the final stakes into place before coming back and sinking heavily into his spot by the fire.

Thankfully, Sera had been able to track couple of fennecs, which she had skinned for a meagre yet sufficient dinner, so no stomachs rumbled as they rested.

Ashanna laid there, her limbs aching and her frustration brewing at having to cancel their plans to push on further into the Hinterlands, in lieu of turning back and restocking at the Inquisition’s nearest outpost. 

She silently wished for the dried elfroot leaves, which had been carried away by the stream, for a well-yearned smoke. She eventually had to push the thoughts from her head before her craving made her uncomfortable.

It’s probably for the best, she thought, Solas would probably find a reason to disapprove.

“Boss.”

Her eyes snapped open.

When had she closed them?

“Why don’t you just get some rest?” He nodded his horns towards the awaiting tent.

She grumbled in acknowledgement and stumbled into the tent without another word. Inside she propped her head up on a pack and pulled one of the only two dry blankets over herself before slipping swiftly into a heavy sleep.

“You too, Solas.”

He shook his head. “No, I’ll let Sera sleep there.”

“You mean that Sera who’s passed out over there?” She was still there, spread limbs and now slightly snoring. “She’s not waking up to move anytime soon. Just go in there and get some rest. I’ll keep watch for a while.”

For a moment it seemed Solas was going to argue it further but he could not deny the enticement of sleeping under some sort of shelter. The evening was mild but the fading sun had taken some of that warmth with it nonetheless.

He made his way into the tent and lowered himself carefully beside the already sleeping Ashanna. It wasn’t until he was lying on his back beside her that he realised what a mistake it was.

She was so close.

Her breathing was slow and steady. Soothing.

The smell of burnt elfroot clung to her skin and as she lay beside him it, and was all he could focus on. Underneath the sweetness of the herbs there was something else. A musky scent. And… rose? 

He pondered it for a while before a conversation she had shared with Vivienne as they walked past him in the streets of Haven drifted into his memory. She had thanked the First Enchanter for her latest supply of soap. The Orlesian soap Vivienne was so fond of herself.

He smiled to himself in the darkness before allowing himself to drift to sleep to the sound of her breathing, and the sweet smell of her presence.

Ashanna rolled on her side and let the dreams surround her.

She was home.

With the halla.

The sun had set and many had started to settle.

She remained in the stables with them until each had laid their head down to rest.

She sat in the middle of the herd, hands gently stroking the short silky hair on their backs.

She took a deep breath.

It smelt like home.

It was home.

She allowed herself to lay down beside the halla as she had down many nights as teenager.

They were warm and soft.

When they shook or shivered in their sleep her touch would soothe them.

She heard one whimper nearby.

She reached out and drew him close.

Her presence calmed him and he eased her.

She missed this.

She cuddled closer and let the quiet wash over her until her thoughts were still.

Birds tweeted nearby.

Faint rays of sunlight started to reach the fibres of the tent’s canvas.

Ashanna, started to come to. She could still feel the warmth of the halla nearby. She sighed. She hadn’t woken up so happy in a long time. Her arms subconsciously tightened around the halla she had left behind in her dream. Yet somehow, her arms were still full.

Her eyes opened a little wider.

It took her a few moments to understand where she was.

And why her arms were…

“Hm...? Oh… Uhh… Oh…”

Solas tensed as he too woke to find himself entangled- arms returning the embrace- with Ashanna.

After a few moments of frozen silence, they hurriedly pulled away, shuffling to opposite sides of the tent.

“I, uh… apologise… I…”

“I was dreaming.” She blurted out.

Solas nodded. Slowly. “Me too.” He swallowed.

Their eyes met.

Silence again.

She broke it. “I should um… Get outside.”

“Yes, I should… Hm, stay here.”

“Yes. Sure. No. Whatever. I just… Yeah.”

She crawled out of the tent as quickly as she could without making it look like she had just been caught red-handed. Her heart was thumping so hard in her chest it was as if it were trying to find a way out.

She sat by the remaining embers of last nights fire and tried to steady her breath.

“Good night’s sleep?”

She jumped at Bull’s words not expecting him to be nearby.

In the end all she could do was answer honestly.

“Yeah. I slept… great.”


End file.
